Troy A. Miller Commissioner at U.S Customs and Border Protection | Official website
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the expansion of Operation Plaza Spike to include El Paso and Juarez in a news release that also introduced a new counter-fentanyl surge operation called Apollo X. This announcement was made in a July 22 news release from the CBP.
Operation Plaza Spike targets gangs and cartels in Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl, its analogs, precursors, and tools. The program started at the plaza south of Nogales, Arizona. According to the CBP website focusing on the effort, Operation Plaza Spike emphasizes intelligence, disruption and degradation of cartel operations, and delivery of legal consequences. Plazas are specific territories controlled by cartels in Mexico. The first plaza was the Nogales Plaza.
"These ruthless criminal organizations peddle chaos and profit from human suffering. They traffic illicit drugs into our country that make their way into our communities. They exploit vulnerable migrants, leaving them for dead in the unforgiving desert. And they cause cross-border violence that puts border communities – and our law enforcement personnel – at risk. They are sophisticated, innovative, and relentless. But so are the men and women of Customs and Border Protection," said Troy A. Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner.
Apollo X is a new operation across the southwest border requiring agents to use actionable intelligence to find and seize fentanyl and uncover supply chains to disrupt its flow into the country. Miller stated in the July 22 news release: "We’re working closely with our federal, state, and local partners – along the southwest border and now specifically in El Paso. We are using all of our collective intelligence and operational capabilities to focus pressure and disruption operations on these TCOs (Transnational Criminal Organizations). These partnerships are critical in all of our enforcement efforts. CBP is proud to lead the federal government’s efforts in the fight against fentanyl. We bring our unique position and authorities — and we are even more impactful when working together."
U.S. Border Patrol, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for safeguarding the nation's borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
